Darris Means, an assistant professor in the College of Education’s counseling and human development services department, is one of 30 chosen as a 2017 National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellow. He will spend the upcoming academic year studying seniors who attend rural high schools in Georgia as they navigate the college choice process. The fellowships are administered by the National Academy of Education, an honorary educational society, and funded by the Spencer Foundation.
“This study looks at rural black students and college access and choice,” said Means. “There’s research out there about what doesn’t work and the barriers, but this will focus on students’ knowledge, social networks and other things students utilize on their pathway to higher education to focus on what works.”
By focusing on the ways students access a college education, Means added, he can help build a framework that can be replicated by rural schools across Georgia and the country.
More than 200 postdoctoral researchers applied for the $70,000 award, which has been in place for more than 30 years. Means’ research joins other cutting-edge topics such as equity in mathematics education, dual-language programs, and the connections between educational policy and suburban land development.
